3D Printed Toothbrush Tailored to Your Teeth

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Forget electric toothbrushes — using 3D printing, engineers have
developed a new kind of toothbrush tailor-made to fit a person's
mouth. All a person must do to brush is bite down.

At first glance, the "Blizzident" looks a bit like a hairy pair
of dentures. The brush's makers say it cleans teeth completely
within six seconds, though independent studies have not yet
verified its efficacy.

To tailor the brush to a person's mouth, dentists take a digital
scan of the teeth (or take an impression that is later scanned).
The makers of Blizzident use that scan to determine the optimal
placement of 600 bristles by simulating biting and chewing
movements. The bristles resemble normal toothbrush bristles but
are much finer and tapered to reach under the gumline better.

The makers use 3D
printing create the brush itself. They use the dental
scan to create a computer aided design (CAD) model of the brush,
which is converted into a 3D object using stereolithography,
a method in which liquid plastic is cured into a shape with an
ultraviolet laser. The bristles are then painstakingly attached
to this object. [ The
10 Weirdest Things Created By 3D Printing ]

To brush with the Blizzident, a person simply bites down on it
and grinds his or her noshers for about six seconds. This biting
motion achieves the effect of the Modified Bass technique (in
which the brush is positioned at a 45-degree angle to the teeth
roots and brushed back and forth), and the Fones technique (in
which the brush is held at right angles to the teeth and brushed
in large circles), the Blizzident makers say.

The tailor-made toothbrush, available online or from some
dentists, currently costs a hefty $299. But the brush's makers
stress it could actually save people money in dental costs, as
well as time spent brushing their teeth.